


Ganging It Up

by parkersweasley



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Zendaya (Musician)
Genre: Action & Romance, Avengers - Freeform, Awesome Michelle Jones, Eventual Romance, F/M, FBI agents, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gang Violence, Marvel - Freeform, Minor Violence, Partners in Crime, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter Parker isn't Spider-Man, PeterMJ - Freeform, Shooting Guns, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Spider-Man - Freeform, Spideychelle, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, but also not really, mcu - Freeform, peter parker is no longer spider-man, slowburn but also not slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-01-30 10:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21426610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkersweasley/pseuds/parkersweasley
Summary: Peter Parker and Michelle Jones are one of the FBI's most trusted agents. When their boss Tony Stark sends both of them to Europe to go undercover as robbers in an illegal Italian gang and find out how they traffic their dirty money, the duo does not hesitate in doing so. However, Peter and Michelle have history. Romantic history. After things did not work out between them, they had promised each other that it was in the past and that it would never happen again, and they plan to keep that promise as their European quest begins - but working on a mission together, having to trust no one but each other, and opening up to one another seems harder to do while trying to keep the past in the back of their heads.
Relationships: Betty Brant/Michelle Jones, Betty Brant/Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones/Gwen Stacy, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker/Shuri, Ned Leeds & Harry Osborn & Peter Parker, Ned Leeds/Peter Parker, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Kudos: 20





	1. modern-day bonnie & clyde

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! this is my first attempt at an action romance kinda thing, i'm also kinda new to writing fanfics, so pls go easy on me. i'll try my best. giving credit to my girl @romanoffnparker on twitter for thinking of the plot for this story. you have created something for me to do during my free time.

** **

* * *

_i wonder if you look both ways _

_when you cross my mind _

_see you again - tyler, the creator _

* * *

**Michelle ******

Of all the things she wanted to be when she was a kid, FBI agent was definitely not on her list. But it all changed when she stumbled across a tv show called _Criminal Minds,_ when she was thirteen years old. She was fascinated by how many information detectives need to solve a crime that didn't seem like it needed such a large investigation.__ But that was when she knew that she wanted to do whatever the guys on that show were doing. She wanted to decipher crimes when she got older.

So she did. After graduating high school, she got a full-ride scholarship to Columbia University to study Criminology. While she was in college, she got an internship at Stark Industries, one of the biggest FBI Agencies in the world. After graduating, she started working there full time.

The only thing she did not know about was that her old high school classmate Peter Parker would be doing the same.

And it would've been fine if he was only her old classmate, but he wasn't. Her and Peter had hooked up twice, once at senior prom and once at Peter's aunt's wedding, which she still did not know why she was invited.

The thing is that, ever since that night at May's wedding, she kind of developed feelings for Peter. She wondered if he felt the same, so she started following him on social media to find out. Turns out not long after their second hookup, Peter had started dating someone named Mary Jane Watson. So she tried to get over him. She told herself it was just a stupid crush, and she got through it. When she saw Peter walk into Stark Industries' building that day, she thought he wouldn't recognize her. She was horribly mistaken.

"MJ, hey!" He had said. "How've you been?"

"Hi," she replied. "I've been great. How are you?"

"I'm good. Good. What are you doing here?"

She sighed. "Uh, I'm here for orientation. I just got a job here, so..."

His eyes widened. "Oh, really? Me too. I-I work here now."

Then, she realized, _ that makes sense. He had a fucking Stark internship job when we were in high school._

She nodded. "Great. So I guess we're co-workers now."

And now here they are, two years later, working for the same company.

MJ writes her list of groceries somewhere so she won't forget, and Peter does something with his phone.

It's a slow day at Stark Industries, or at least it feels like it.

Suddenly, the booming voice of Tony Stark rings through the place.

"Parker, Jones, could you come here a second?" He asks without looking at them.

They get off their seats and make their way to Tony's office. Peter lets MJ in before him, and closes the door behind them.

"Detective Parker, detective Jones. I have a job for you," Stark says and gets off his big leather chair and stands next to his window, which faces the humongous One World Trade Center building.

"What's it about, Mr. Stark?" Peter comes with the question first. Even after working two years in this job, MJ still doesn't know for sure if she can speak after Stark finishes talking. He's one of those guys that if you don't know him, he is scary to you. He isn't scary at all, he just really wants all of his employees to do the job correctly, like any casual employer.

Tony takes a breath. "The job is in Italy. There's a gang. They steal money from all over Europe. What I'm going to need you guys to do is go undercover and find out how they do it and what they do with it."

Suddenly, MJ grows nervous. She has never worked with Peter before. Well, not her with just him anyway.

_Fuck it,_ she thinks.

"Okay. When are we going?" Michelle speaks first this time.

"In two days. Everything's all set. You'll get fake names. We'll pay for your trip. Shuri will be your supervisor and Murdock will be your security," Tony says.

"Is Shuri coming with us?" Peter asks.

Tony shakes his head. "She'll be supervising you from afar. Murdock will be at our base in Rome but he will not be part of the mission with you. You're the only ones dressing up."

"Okay," they both say.

Tony nods. "You're dismissed. I'll email you both the flight information tomorrow. It's time for your lunch break now."

Michelle and Peter leave Tony's office. MJ grabs her purse and goes out the hallway, into the lobby and then the elevator. She presses the button that says zero and waits for it to travel from the 18th floor to the bottom. To kill time, she takes her phone out of her pocket and texts her mom.

_hey mom. are you available to talk?_

_Hi sweetheart! Yes I just got off Nana's. Why?_

_i'm gonna call you. i'm on lunch break, heading to clarke's right now._

_Ok sweetie. Waiting for your call! :)_

Exiting the Stark Industries building, a quick 5-minute walk gets MJ into _ P.J Clarke's,_ a small bar just off the coast of the Brooklyn Bridge. When she enters, the waiter sits her down at a table near the window. She orders a Cadillac burger and a Perfect Manhattan cocktail. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she dials her mom's phone number.

A voice speaks on the other end. "Hi, honey."

"Hey, mom. How are you?"

"I'm great, honey. How are you?"

"Good. Having lunch at _ Clarke's._"

"So. What's up?"

"I got a new mission. Um, in Italy. I'm going undercover as a robber."

"That's awesome, Michelle! Are you going alone?" Her mother's voice shifts from excitement to worry.

Michelle lightly chuckles. "No, I'm not. I'm going with Peter. Peter Parker. He's my partner," she says.

Her mom lets out a slight gasp. "No way. Peter Parker, who you went to school with your whole life?"

"Yeah. Him."

"Also the guy you had a crush on for God knows how long?"

MJ groans. "Yep."

Her mom laughs. "That's adorable."

MJ rolls her eyes. "Yeah. I'm not too worried about it, though. Peter is a really good detective, with his intelligence and all. And I'm...well, I'm a badass."

"Yes, you are, sweetie. Say, when are you and Peter leaving?" Her mom asks.

"In two days, why?"

"Why don't you invite him to have dinner with me and you tonight?"

"What? Why?" MJ frantically asks.

"To catch up with him, Michelle. He used to come over all the time when you guys were in high school. After you graduated, he never came over anymore. He's a nice boy."

MJ wants to say something, but her mom interrupts her. "And I'm pretty sure that even if you work with him, you don't say a word to him all day. That's not very high of you, Michelle. So, invite him to dinner. Nothing's going to happen."

Michelle sighs. Does she really want Peter to see her mom again after all the years he hasn't been in her home?

No. She doesn't.

But she tells her mom she does anyway.

"Fine. I'll invite him to dinner. But, please, mom, I'm begging you, please don't remind him of the things that happened when we went to school together. Those are times I'd rather you not mention to him."

"I won't, Michelle, I promise. I'm inviting him to catch up with _ him. _ See what's been going on in his life. That's it," her mom says.

Michelle laughs. Her mom had always been a sucker for knowing random facts about other people's lives. She had a lot of things to talk about with her gossiping neighbors.

"Ok, I'll tell him. What time should he be there?" MJ asks.

"Tell him to be here around 7:30. You should be there a few minutes before him to help me set the table."

"I will. I gotta go, my lunch break ends in 25 minutes. Love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Her mom says and hangs up.

Just then, MJ's food arrives at her table. She mumbles a "thank you" to the waiter and begins to eat her burger.

<><><>

30 minutes later, MJ walks into the office and sits down on her desk. A couple of minutes later, Peter stumbles in after her.

MJ thinks, _ it's time. _ As she waits for Peter to seat on his designated spot, she goes up to him. Shakes off her anxiety.

"Hey, Peter," she says, her voice a bit smaller than expected.

"MJ. Hi," he says, a little startled by her tall figure.

She decides to go straight to the point. "Um, I just talked to my mom during my break and I ended up mentioning you and our mission. She said that she remembers you and she told me to invite you over for dinner at her house, so, um...this is me, inviting you to have dinner with us, I guess."

Peter breathes hard, like he's out of breath. It's just then that MJ notices that he's sweating a lot, most likely because he ran fast from his break to avoid getting late to work.

Then, he opens his mouth to speak. "Uh, yeah. I-I'd love to. Does she still live in Queens?"

MJ nods. "I'll send you the address-"

"8922 220th street, right?" Peter interrupts her.

Michelle lets her jaw drop a little too far.

After she doesn't reply, Peter starts to panic, thinking that she got mad at him for interrupting her. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

She closes her mouth. "No, it's fine. I'm just surprised that you remember the address after all this time."

He chuckles. "Well, I could never forget the endless late-night decathlon meetings even if I wanted to. Also, your mom's food is kind of impossible to forget."

"You're definitely right about that," she agrees. "So, you already got the address down, I think that you should be there maybe around 7:30. But you don't need to get there in time, a little late is fine."

"Ok. Um, I'll see you there, yeah?"

"Yeah. See ya," Michelle says and gets back to her desk.

Sitting down on her chair, she feels a small flutter in her heart. She doesn't know why, and it bothers her. Then, it dawns.

Peter remembers her mom's address. After 5 whole years, he remembers.

And that's what makes her smile for the rest of the day.


	2. thanks for the memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everybody!!! thank you so much for the love on the first chapter!!! here's a little doozy in peter's pov, please let me know what you think of it. also!!! there's a scene in here where they're in a decathlon competition and i've never been in the decathlon group so i have no clue how their competition goes down lol. but i tried my best to make it look like the 10-second clip we got of mj answering the question in spider-man homecoming so don't go too hard on me if i got anything in the scene wrong......lol ok now im done

* * *

_we're not who we used to be _

_we're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me_

_two ghosts - harry styles_

* * *

**Peter **

"Ned, dude, I need your help."

"What is it?" Ned says.

"Um, I'm going to this dinner thing, at MJ's mom's house. And I need something to wear."

"Wait, do you mean your _ex-girlfriend MJ _ or your _ high school crush MJ? _

"The second one," Peter huffs.

"Oh, _ shit._ You need to dress a little nicer than usual," Ned says.

"Why?"

"Well, duh, it's MJ. You had a crush on her. She had a crush on you. You're recently single. You got a girlfriend that has the same initials as the person you wanted to be with but couldn't. You're going on a mission together. What's not clicking?"

"Ned, this isn't about a relationship — wait, she had a what now?"

"She had a crush on you, Peter. In high school."

"No, she didn't."

"Yes, she did," Ned remarks.

"How did you know?"

"It was kind of obvious. Jesus, Peter, are you really that dense?"

Peter doesn’t respond.

“Huh. I guess you are. Anyway, what kind of...nice clothes do you have?” Ned keeps talking.

“Um...I have the suit from homecoming, I have the suit from when I went to Mr. Stark’s 50th birthday party, that’s about it.” Peter replies.

“Okay, first of all, don’t wear a suit. It’s way too formal, and it can make people feel uncomfortable. Do you want MJ to feel uncomfortable?”

“No, of course not!”

“Exactly. Just wear black jeans and a normal dress shirt. Like the one you wore when we were in Europe. You know, the white dress shirt in Prague. That was probably one of your best looks," Ned points out.

"I did like that fit," Peter agrees.

"Boom. You got your answer."

"Thanks, man. I'll tell you how it goes."

"Tight."

Peter hangs up.

<><><>

After he's dressed, he calls May.

He feels bad that he hasn't visited her in a while. He's been kind of busy with his job, and gets tired after a long day of work and doesn't have the energy to talk to her. He also feels kind of guilty that he's only calling her to ask if he can borrow her car. He dials her number anyway.

She picks up after the third ring. "Hey, stranger."

He chuckles, ashamed. "Hi, May. How've you been?"

"I'm great. However, I would be even better if my nephew remembered I exist," he can hear the pettiness in her voice.

"Sorry about that, by the way. I've just been super busy, I promise."

"It's okay. I understand," her tone now sincere.

"Um, I apologize in advance, but...I kind of need your car."

"For?"

"I have this...dinner thing. At, uh, Michelle Jones' house."

He can hear her gasp through the phone. "MJ? Oh my God, I love that girl! I haven't seen her in so long! Are you guys seeing each other again?"

"N-No, May...we were assigned on a mission together, just the two of us. And her mom invited me to have dinner with them. So I'm going and I need your car."

"Well, of course! Just bring it to me before tomorrow. Happy and I are going to his parents' house."

"Oh...kay. Uh, yeah, I'll give it back tonight. Without a scratch."

He makes a mental note to visit May more often. He misses her.

<><><>

He texts MJ when he gets to her mom's house.

_peter: i'm here. _

_mj: okay. you can park in front of the house. i'll tell mom you're here. _

_peter: okay. _

He suddenly feels nervous. He hasn't been in this house for at least 5 years, and now that he's here again, before going on a mission with her, he feels flustered. He kind of didn't want to come to this dinner, but he didn't want to be rude, so he said yes. Seeing her mom just gives him this nostalgic feeling, a throwback to his decathlon days.

He goes up to her porch, and rings the doorbell. Michelle answers the door. 

"You're early," she says. Peter nods. 

Then, Michelle's mom appears in the door. "Peter! I haven't seen you in forever!" She says and without thought, pulls him into a hug. 

"Mom," Michelle groans.

Peter just chuckles and returns the hug. "It's good to see you too, Ms. Jones."

"Uh-uh, don't be coming at me with that Ms. Jones crap. Call me Nicole," she lets go of him and tells him. 

She lets him inside the house, and the smell of food immediately reaches his nose. The smell of the food he ate a lot of in high school when he came to the Jones residence. 

"It smells really good, Miss-um, Nicole," he points out. 

"Aw, thank you, Peter." 

When he's fully inside, he notices Michelle's outfit. She has her curly hair down, wearing a floral dress with a black denim jacket over it, and black combat boots. He remembers it as one of the outfits she wore in their trip to Europe in their junior year of high school. 

Yeah, he noticed her a lot back then. He also crushed on her for a while, but never had the courage to tell her. He liked her for a year after their trip, and then he lost his virginity to her during their senior prom. 

"Hey, it's that dress you wore in Prague," he points at her dress. 

She looks down at herself. "Yeah. It is. How'd you remember?"

"Just...good memory," he lies. 

"And it's your...polo shirt. Also from Prague," she says. 

He nods. Then takes his gaze away from her to her mom. "So. Shall we sit?"

He's awkward. Doesn't know what to say. Of course, he hasn't talked to Michelle or her mother for what felt like decades. 

_I shouldn't have come, _he thinks. _I shouldn't have come. I hate making MJ uncomfortable. She's clearly uncomfortable. _

They all sit down at the dinner table, and Nicole opens her mouth to speak.

"Tonight's meal is penne pasta with grilled fish and white sauce," she says. 

While they eat, Nicole starts to talk. 

"So, Peter," she says. "How've you been?"

"Um, I've been good. Working hard. Very tired, like, all the time from work. But it's been alright, I guess."

"How's your aunt?"

"Uh, I actually haven't been in touch with her for a while. I feel bad about that," he chuckles in shame. 

"I miss her. Sometimes we would talk for a little bit while you and the decathlon team were either in Michelle's room or in the basement, you know?"

"Oh, really? That's...I didn't know that."

"You didn't miss anything. We would mostly talk about things that weren't important anyway," Nicole mentions. 

"Right."

"So...I heard you and Michelle were assigned on a mission together? Sounds exciting."

"Yeah. It's our first time working together. Just the two of us," he says. 

"I know you're like, one of the best detectives they have, they made a good choice pairing you with her. When are you guys leaving?" Nicole asks. 

"We leave in two days. Mr. Stark provided everything for us already. Fake names, fake background lives, etc."

"I'm sure you guys will do a great job. I can sense it just from how much you guys helped each other during decathlon times," she remarks. 

Peter smiles at her and continues eating his food. 

He looks at MJ. She's barely eating her food. She hasn't said a word since their dinner started. 

_Yup, I'm making her uncomfortable, _Peter thinks. _Shouldn't have come. Should've said no._

As if Nicole reads his mind, she focuses her gaze on MJ. "Michelle, you're awfully quiet. Are you excited for your mission? You finally get to live your dream of robbing a bank," she laughs, encouraging her to say something.

"Yeah," is all she says, forcing a smile. 

Nicole ignores it and goes back to her pasta.

Peter jumps in. "Honestly, I don't think I would be able to figure out the mission on my own. MJ would save my butt with her intelligence, just like she did that one time at our decathlon competition in Chicago," he says. 

The memory suddenly hits him. Midtown School of Science and Technology on one side, Lindblom Math and Science Academy on the other. 

_Peter, Michelle, Ned, Flash. Midtown had 12 points while Lindblom had 13. Midtown needed 3 more points to win the competition. _

_"Last deciding question is for Midtown student Peter Parker," the host had said._ "_In hisphotographic experiments, Louis Daguerre used mercury fumes to...?"_

_Crap. It was an art question. That was not Peter's forte._

_"Um..." _

_"Would you like to hear the options?"_

_"Y-yes, please."_

_"Alright. A) heighten the light and dark contrasts, B) shorten the exposure time, C) lengthen the exposure time, D) add subtle tonal gradations, or E) gain greater depth of focus?"_

_Michelle stood to Peter's left, Ned to his right. He suddenly started sweating._

_MJ tapped his pinky finger and pointed to her arm. _

_"What?" he whispered. She didn't say anything and just kept pointing at her brown arm. Then she made a squeezing gesture with her left hand. And pointed to her pulse as if she was pointing to a clock. _

_He just looked at her with a very confusing expression. _

_She rolled her eyes. She pointed to the watch he wore on his left arm, signaling 'time.' _

_That was when he realized part of the answer. It was either letter B or C. _

_She pointed to her skin, and made the squeezing gesture again. _

_"Mr. Parker? Your answer?"_

_"Right. Sorry. Uh..." He looked at her again. Her arm. The squeezing gesture. Then she pointed to his arm. _

_It hit him. He turned his head towards the host faster than he had expected he would. _

_"B. I believe the answer is letter B, shorten the exposure time."_

_"That is correct! Midtown takes the trophy!"_

_After everyone hugged Peter and they left the auditorium of the University of Chicago, Peter went up to Michelle. _

_"Hey," he said. _

_"Hey."_

_"Um...thanks for saving me back there. I would definitely never have guessed B." _

_"You're welcome, Pete. That's what I'm here for."_

_"H-How did you arrive at the answer, by the way? It was really interesting in a way that I'd never seen before."_

_"Well, besides the fact that I already knew the answer, I am clearly...darker-skinned than you are, so I thought...if I decreased the time my skin color was exposed to the sun, it would become your skin color. That's why I made the squeezing gesture, it was supposed to be meant as reduction."_

_"Oh. Got it."_

_"My pleasure."_

_When they were on the bus later in the day, Mr. Harrington got up before they left to go back to New York. _

_"I'd like to congratulate Peter for bringing us yet another trophy," he said. "To you, Parker."_

_Applause and cheers erupted from the bus, and Peter felt like he didn't deserve all the praise. It was MJ who helped them win, after all. _

_"Uh, sorry, everyone, but I think Michelle should be the one to get the cheers. Without her, I would've made us lose. Praise her, not me."_

_She looked up from her book and saw Peter talking two seats ahead of her._

_A couple of "Yeah, MJ!" and "Way to go, MJ!" came all the way from the back of the bus. _

_"And that's why she's our captain. Thank you, MJ, for always saving your peers' butts," Mr. Harrington said and more claps rose inside the school bus. _

_"I appreciate your praise, I really do. But let's skip the pleasantries and go home. My mom agreed to let us celebrate at my house and the sooner we get there, the better."_

_She sat back down and Peter smiled at her. She smiled at him back. _

_That was when everything between them started. _

As the moment plays in Peter's head, the smile on his face is the biggest anyone's ever seen. 

"Michelle is so smart that she's able to save the whole world without saying a single word," he says. 

After several minutes of telling old stories and new ones, it was already almost 9pm.

"That's so sweet, Peter. Ah, of course you guys will rock this mission together. A Gemini," Nicole points to MJ, "and a Leo," she points to Peter, "is about to be a lot of fun."

Michelle's mom heavily believes in horoscopes. She claims to be a professional astrologist. Anything horoscopes tell her, she believes it. 

Michelle groans. "Ugh, mom. You and your horoscopes," she says and gets up to put her plate in the sink. 

Peter clears his throat. "Um, thanks, Nicole, for dinner. It was amazing, but I'm afraid I have to go. I'm using May's car and I have to give it back today."

"Oh, that's no problem, Peter. You guys have to rest for your European mafia trip."

"That's just what I need, actually," Peter says as he gets up. He washes the utensils he used, and then prepares to leave Nicole and Michelle. 

"I'll walk you out," MJ says. 

Peter waves at Nicole and walks out of the house, towards May's car. 

When they reach the vehicle, Michelle stops dead in her tracks. 

"What is it?"

"I remember the first time I rode in that car. When my mom couldn't pick me up from school after D.C so you and May dropped me home."

"Yeah, I remember it too."

_"Oh, Peter, I'm so glad you're okay," May said while she hugged the life out of him. _

_"Me too, May. Me too."_

_"Don't ever go through something like this without warning me immediately, you understand?"_

_"I couldn't contact you, May. The museum took our phones."_

_"Was everyone up there?"_

_"No. Michelle stayed back. She said she didn't want to celebrate something that was built by slaves."_

_"Smart girl. Spared herself from the danger," May praised her. _

_"I guess."_

_Peter was about to sit in the passenger seat when May mentioned one of his classmates standing around by herself. _

_"Hey, isn't that her?" May asked._

_Peter whipped his head back to look at Michelle leaning over a school bus, her phone and a book in hand. She seemed upset about something. _

_"Do you think we should give her a ride?" May asked.   
_

_"No, May. She's fine." _

_"Oh, Peter, don't be so inconsiderate. The poor girl clearly doesn't have anyone to fetch her."_

_A few seconds went by before May spoke again._

_"I'm going to ask her."_

_"May, no...! Ugh," Peter groaned. _

_May approached Michelle, who quietly had her nose shoved in a book. _

_"Hi, Michelle. Peter and I saw that you were here all alone, and we were wondering if you need a ride home. I could drop you off, if you want."_

_"You and Peter? Yeah, right," she scoffed._

_"Yeah, of course! We don't want you to be here for long. Something really bad could happen to you," May said, concern in her voice. _

_"I can take care of myself."_

_"Yes, I know that. You're a strong girl. But I would feel guilty if I didn't take you home and you had to walk. So, what do you say?"_

_She seemed to think for a while. Peter watched her from the car seat. _

_Please say no, please say no- _

_"Ok. I'll go with you," she finally said. _

_"Hey, Peter," she said when she got in the backseat._

_"H-Hi, Michelle. How's it, uh, how's it going?" _

_"Going well. I was waiting for my mom but she wasn't able to come, so...your aunt offered me a ride home, I hope that's cool."_

_"Yeah. That's cool," Peter said. _

_"Cool." _

_"...Okay! Let's get you home, shall we?"_

"God, we were so awkward back then," Peter says as he awkwardly scratches the back of his neck, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. 

"Yeah," MJ sighs out. 

"Glad that I got out of that phase. Probably the worst thing about me back then," Peter says. 

"Same. But I still think you're very awkward, Parker."

_Parker. _Peter remembers how much he liked that nickname but pretended he didn't. He probably had butterflies in his stomach every time MJ called him that, because, well, he kinda sorta had a thing for her back then. But obviously, he would never tell. The only person he ever told about his crush was Ned. And May, but she found out by herself. She always does. 

Peter doesn't seem to notice her face dropping. Michelle clears her throat. "So," she says. "Thanks for coming. I'm sure it made my mom very happy."

"Yeah," Peter says. "I'm sorry, by the way. I noticed that you looked kind of uncomfortable during dinner. I want to apologize if it was anything I did."

"No, it wasn't you," she says. "It's just been a while." 

It's only a half lie. 

"I get it. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for the dinner." 

He wants to hug her. But he's afraid he'll scare her away.

"Bye, stranger," MJ says as Peter starts his car. 

“See you in a minute,” he says and drives off. 

He’s got a good feeling about this mission. In a way, he hopes it will bring MJ and him closer together again. He really does like to spend time with her. He just wants it to be like old times.

Even though some things are harder to remember than others. 

So he will try his best to make sure he does what he wants. And have MJ back (as a friend). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!!! kudos and comments are always helpful :) i promise i won't take as long as i did to upload the next chapter. i was just procrastinating lol.


	3. mr. and mrs. eroda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so......let's just pretend that the coronavirus never happened in this story lmao. let's pretend italy is totally safe and healthy...yeah let's go with that. 
> 
> lol anyway hope you guys enjoy this chapter! this is where the fun starts... ;)

* * *

_oh, baby i'm trying_

_i can't erase your picture from my head_

_erase - omar apollo_

* * *

**Michelle **

"No, Betty, I won't kill anyone," she tells her best friend as she finishes packing her things. "Only if it's absolutely necessary."

"I don't want my best friend to get arrested in Italy," Betty complains. "Who am I going to talk to when I need ideas for an article?"

"I'm sure Gwen can hook you up."

"Gwen isn't as opinionated as you."

"Relax, I'll only be gone for a month."

"Yeah, with _Peter Parker."_

"Ugh, why does everyone say his name like he's a big deal?" Michelle groans. 

"He kind of is, though. He was the biggest of them all when you lost your virginity to him."

"Betty, please shut up. I don't want to hear any more things about Peter. We're going on this trip as co-workers, nothing else. It'll never be more than co-workers."

"Hm. Keep telling yourself that."

"I hate you."

"I love you too," Betty says, and MJ can feel her smirk through the phone.

* * *

After her stuff is all packed, her phone dings with a message from her boss, Tony Stark. 

_Agent Jones, your cab is ready downstairs. It will take you and Agent Parker to JFK Airport. _

Michelle closes her suitcase and drags it out the door, while also locking the door to her lonely apartment. In her building's patio, a classic yellow New York taxi cab awaits her — and so does Peter Parker. 

The taxi driver grabs her suitcase and puts it in his trunk, while Peter opens the backdoor so she can get in. 

"You know, I could've done that myself," she says as she gets inside the car. 

"Always a pleasure to hear your most heartwarming comments, MJ," Peter says sarcastically and gets in the backseat next to her. 

Their ride to the airport is quick. Oddly enough, traffic in New York isn't as busy as it usually is. Of course, it's summer, New Yorkers don't spend summer in New York. They always go to fancy places like the Hamptons and shit. 

Arriving at John F. Kennedy airport, James Rhodes is waiting for MJ and Peter. 

"Rhodey! I haven't seen you in so long!" Peter exclaims as he tries to bring James into a hug but he dodges. 

"Cut the crap, Parker. I'm only here to give you two the final information."

Sam Wilson appears next to Rhodes to carry MJ's stuff to the self check-in.

"What, Sam, you'll take her stuff but not mine?" Peter complains. 

"First of all, it's Captain Sam Wilson to you. Second of all, I'll carry her stuff because I'm a gentleman. As for you, those arm muscles ain't for nothing. Get your own, Superman," Sam says and walks away with Michelle's suitcase. 

Michelle wants to laugh. She's always been a fan of the bicker between Sam, Peter, and James — she knows it's all in good fun even though Sam and James' words can hurt Peter just a tad bit sometimes.

"Your fake names will be Jessica Eroda and Mike Eroda. You will be playing a married couple," Rhodes explains.

"Married?" Peter asks.

"Got a problem with that?" Sam crosses his arms. 

"No, it's not a problem, it's just...me and MJ are young and—" Peter tries to explain himself.

"Make up a story, Parker, I don't have time for this right now. Now go and do your check-in and let me get the hell outta here," Rhodes says and leaves. 

Peter grabs his suitcase and they walk over with Sam to the self check-in area. 

"We made these fake IDs for the both of you. Make sure that we have the information correct. Your birthdays, place of birth, all that stuff," he tells them. 

"All good," they say.

Sam suddenly chuckles. "Why, Parker, I didn't know you were younger than Michelle. She'll be 23 in a couple days, would you look at that?"

"She's only 2 months older, it's not a big deal, Sam."

He laughs. "Sure, sure, whatever you say."

* * *

After going through security and checking their fake passports for the millionth time, Peter and MJ finally get to the boarding gate. They notice that their seats are next to each other, and well, that makes a lot of sense. 

As they wait for the desk lady to announce boarding time, Michelle's phone vibrates. 

"It's Tony. Put your headphones in," she tells Peter and he grabs the headphones to plug into MJ's phone so they can both listen to the call.

"Hey, kids. How's it going over there?" Tony asks them. 

"Everything fine, Mr. Stark. We're waiting for the plane to board," Peter says as MJ holds the phone in her hand. 

"Please, no need to call me mister. You guys can call me Tony. Since everything is good, I want you to call me when you're boarding. There are just a couple of things that we need to go over."

"Got it, Tony. We'll make sure to call you," MJ says and hangs up the phone. 

After the call is finished, Peter sighs next to Michelle.

"Are you okay?"

"What?" His head rises at the audio of her voice. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, it's just...do you think it's serious?"

"What is?" She asks. 

"This whole...thing. Like, do you think one of us could be hurt if we weren't careful?"

"I mean...if these thieves are as dangerous as Tony said they were, then yeah, we have to be pretty careful so one of us doesn't end up in a ditch. Or worse, both of us," she reassures him. 

"Right. Well, um, I'll make sure that doesn't happen. It'd be pretty sucky explaining to your mom the tragic story of the assassination of Michelle Jones and how it all went down. Also, I'd feel really guilty. So if anyone would get hurt, I'd make sure it'd be me."

Michelle chuckles. "When did you become such a smooth talker?" 

Peter kinda blushes. "What do you mean smooth? I'm just saying that I'll do anything I can to protect you."

"Thanks, Peter, but I'm pretty sure I can handle myself. I appreciate the chivalry, though."

"Well, you know what they say. Chivalry isn't dead," Peter says. 

"I guess it isn't."

A few minutes go by, and Peter starts talking again. 

"So what'd you bring to pass the time? Since, you know, you're not really able to sleep on planes?"

"Well, since you asked, I brought two books. One of them is this kind of dystopian novel called _Brave New World _while the other is _The Talented Mr. Ripley, _a story about a sociopath where he visits Italy and kills someone to steal their identity in the 1950s."

"Isn't that the movie with Matt Damon and Jude Law?" Peter asks. 

"Yeah. Obviously the movie doesn't do the book any justice. It's still a nice watch, though," MJ states her classic opinion on book adaptations. "Anyway, I also brought a couple of movies that I downloaded on Netflix — that you can watch with me, if you want — some playlists downloaded on Spotify, and a couple of podcasts. How about you?" 

"Definitely didn't bring as many things as you did, because I, for one, can sleep in a plane. I can sleep pretty much anywhere—"

"Oh, I know. Don't think I forgot about your ridiculously long naps during decathlon trips. Ned was probably tired of you using him as a pillow the entire time." 

"Trust me, he was. I owe him big time." 

MJ agrees. "To be honest, I would too."

"Anyway, I brought this podcast that I've been listening to, and about 8 episodes of _Community _with some _Criminal Minds._ It's kind of a guilty pleasure show for me, you know?"

MJ chuckles. "Yeah, I get it."

* * *

It was now 6:50pm, and Peter and MJ were sat at row 14 of an American Airlines plane, she was at the window while he took the middle seat. 

"If no one shows up for the aisle seat, I'll use it to stretch my legs if you don't mind," Peter mentions.

"I don't mind it," she says. "But if you put your head near my shoulder or lap, I'll kill you."

He laughs.

* * *

Now at 7pm, Michelle remembers that Tony told them to call him before boarding. 

"Peter...we have to call Stark," she says without looking at him, but there's no answer.

"Peter?" Then, she turns to look at him. 

He's sleeping. Already.

_You've gotta be fucking kidding me. _

She nudges him. One, two, three times. No answer. 

"Peter! Wake up! Tony will be mad at us," she says while shaking his right arm. 

After nothing seems to work, she huffs and pinches his arm instead. _Hard._

He jolts awake. 

"Ow! What the hell, MJ? That hurt," he says, rubbing his arm. 

"We have to call Tony, you idiot. How did you already fall asleep?"

"Magic," he sarcastically says. 

She ignores him and grabs her phone, clicking on her most recent call.

They share earbuds. Tony picks up after the second ring. 

"Hey, kiddos. Any updates?" He speaks.

"We'll be flying in about 5 minutes. Do you have any last minute things to tell us?" Michelle says. 

"Well...at 8am tomorrow you guys will be stopping in Amsterdam for about 2 hours. I want you to call me again when you get there. It'll be like, 2am here, but that's okay because my daughter is very hyper at that time so I basically never sleep. And then, you'll go to Milan. When you get there, you'll call Shuri, and Matt will be waiting for you. Got it?" 

"Yes, sir," they both say. 

"Perfect. Now I better go. If anything goes wrong, you know what to do," Tony says and hangs up. 

Peter just quietly laughs. "I just think it's funny that Tony called us 'kiddos,' but we're the 'kiddos' that he sent on a mission where those 'kiddos' could die."

"Well, you know him. Kind of a dick, but a dick with a heart," MJ says.

"I actually don't know him that well. Did you know he has a daughter?" Peter asks. 

Michelle shook her head. "Well, then I guess he's a little responsible if he's got a kid to take care of."

"He must be," Peter jokingly says.

After talking to Tony, MJ texts her mom, Gwen and Betty, telling them that she'll call them when she arrives. Peter does the same. 

They both put their phones on airplane mode, and wait for the stewardess to start giving flight instructions. MJ takes her headphones and books out of her backpack, and also gets a pack of Extra gum. 

"Do you want one? So your ears don't pop?" She offers the gum to Peter. 

"Yeah, sure," he gets a piece. "Thanks."

She just smiles at him. Grabbing her sweatshirt and putting it on over her t-shirt, she pulls her hood on, wearing headphones under the hood. 

Then, Peter looks at her. At her hood. At her hair inside her hood. At her bun in her hair in her hood. 

"What?" She just asks him. 

"Nothing, it just looks like someone took a big shit on your head."

Michelle genuinely laughs. "You gotta do what you gotta do to protect from ear popping."

"You look ni—" 

"Good evening, dear passengers. Welcome aboard to flight AA5764 with destination to Amsterdam..."

* * *

After the stewardess gave the instructions that MJ has heard about a million times and the plane has started to slowly walk, it was now ready for takeoff. MJ had her headphones in, Omar Apollo's _Erase _playing on her phone. 

When the plane starts to speed up, Peter suddenly startles himself and accidentally grabs Michelle's hand. She notices, but doesn't make a big deal about it.

However, in Peter's natural state, he freaks out. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, MJ," he says and removes his hand. "I didn't mean to do that."

She laughs at his panicked physique. "Peter, it's okay. It's not a big deal. I get that, it can be kind of scary sometimes."

He just looks at her with a relieved look. "Right. Sorry."

She laughs again. "God, you haven't changed one bit."

"What do you mean?"

"You're still the same awkward kid from high school who apologizes for everything. Even to the floor you tripped on," she says. 

Peter laughs in embarrassment. "Unfortunately, that will forever be my brand. You changed a lot, though." 

Michelle looks at him. "For the good, I hope?" 

"Obviously," he confirms. "You just seem...I don't know, more—and I mean this as a total compliment, by the way—you seem more confident, happier. You know what I mean?"

She nods. "Well, thank you. I guess that's what happens when your ego boosts because you're chasing criminals," she says honestly. 

Peter seems taken aback. "Wow, Michelle Jones saying 'thank you' to someone? Am I in an alternate dimension?"

MJ rolls her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. This doesn't happen often."

Their plane finally lifts off the ground, and the big buildings of New York City are visible from MJ's window. She takes a picture of the view. It's still light outside, with the month of May ending and June beginning, Michelle remembers that her birthday is approaching. 

God, it's crazy to think that she'll be 23 in the next couple of days. And she'll be in the middle of Europe, working to expose an Italian gang, and having no one but her lifelong school classmate Peter Parker by her side. Now, the only question is: _will he remember?_

_Stop. Why do you care if he remembers or not? That's the least of my concern. _

Trying to distract herself from certain thoughts, she pulls _The Talented Mr. Ripley, _filling her brain with Jude Law instead. 

* * *

It seems to work until about 11pm, when it's already dark—in and outside the plane—and Michelle desperately needs to go to the bathroom. Getting up and trying not to bump into Peter—who is sleeping, obviously—she makes her way to the toilet at the end of the plane. 

After peeing, she returns to her seat—this time, slightly touching her knee with Peter's—and she catches herself looking at him while he's sleeping. Not like that's creepy or anything. 

All she can think about is _how pretty he looks when he's sleeping—nope, not going there._

God, she needs to control herself. Her history with Peter is _over. _It will never happen again. 

At least she hopes it won't. 

But really, fuck him for being so goddamn attractive. 

_Oh, God. This is going to be a really long, dreadful trip. Yay!_

Turning her thoughts about Peter off, she focuses on Ryan Gosling in _The Nice Guys _instead. Yes. Ryan good, Peter bad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok.....listen...........i know i don't deserve rights because i haven't updated in 3 MONTHS. BUT...i promise that it will not take as long to upload chapter 4. im almost done with school so i'll be free in like a month or so!!!
> 
> lmk if i made any grammar mistakes and i'll fix it.
> 
> also stay safe!!!!! wear masks!!!!! use hand sanitizer!!!!!! don't touch ur face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> ok bye!!! see u guys next time!!!!! make good choices <3

**Author's Note:**

> hi again! i really hope that you guys enjoyed this first chapter. this story will probably be uploaded every other week or so, so make sure to bookmark it! if you want to hear about when i update, follow me on twitter (@softdowneyy) to know more! thanks again for reading. kudos and comments are always appreciated ;) 
> 
> also, happy thanksgiving everyone! :) 
> 
> love,  
carol <3


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